Interviews

Hyundai aims to be in top three of construction equipment manufacturers

Hyundai Heavy Industries has ambitious plans to grow from a US$3.7 billion a year business to more than $9.5 billion by 2016.

This was announced at the INTERMAT champagne worldwide launch of its new flagship 120tonne-class excavator, the R1200-9, which is already notching up sales successes. There have been sales in Russia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Myanmar, South Africa and Mongolia and there are on-going negotiations with customers in the UK and Poland.

The company, which also unveiled plans to expand its manufacturing facilities, said that it wants to move into the top three of construction equipment manufacturers in the four-year time frame.

Underlining its intention of competing on a broad front in all sectors of the construction and mining equipment business, Hyundai’s introduction of the new top end excavator endorses the company’s commitment to large-scale investment in developing new products and new market opportunities.

The all-new 1200-9 builds on Hyundai’s experience with the successful 50tonne and 80tonne high-capacity models and has been conceived with an eye on the expanding worldwide mining and quarrying sector. Demand for efficient, large-scale mass excavation in minerals extraction and overburden removal has fuelled an increase in sales of large mining trucks and the equipment to load them.

Development started in 2009; the prototype was ready in 2010 and the first machine was delivered to Russia in 2011.

“Hyundai in Europe is not a big player yet but clearly it is one of the big players in the construction equipment business,” said Alain Worp, sales manager for Hyundai Europe.

“The key product of Hyundai is the excavator. We have 9% of the global market in hydraulic heavy excavators.”

The company has plans to build new factories in Indonesia, Russia and China and open new branches in Malaysia, South Africa and Algeria.

“Vision 2016 is to become a global top three CE manufacturer with $9.5 billion sales revenue,” said Worp. “We want to increase our global position from 5% in 2010 to 10% in 2016, and there is a great sales potential for the new excavator. When we launched the R800LC-7A at INTERMAT three years ago it was sold on the stand, and we didn’t expect that to happen.

“I think it is only a matter of time until we sell the first R1200-9 in Europe.”

Hyundai also previewed its first hybrid model, a 22tonne tracked excavator (planned for a 2014 launch) and wheel loaders, including some of both the -9 and the new -9A Series models.

S.W. Kim, general manager Hyundai heavy Industries Europe, said: “While China and Russia are key markets, we see Europe as very important. From a technical point of view it is the benchmark as specifications are among the highest in the world.”

The first version of the new 120tonne machine is equipped with a heavy-duty 7.55m boom, 3.4m dipper-arm and 6.7m³ bucket - a combination that gives a maximum digging depth of nearly 8m, an outreach of 13.76m and a load-over height of 7.8m.

Maximum breakout force at the bucket is a massive 64.9tonnes, and with three selectable power modes (power, speed and economy), the machine is designed for extra-heavy digging duties and loading of large-capacity dump trucks.